Carcinoma VS Pulmonary Emboli/DVT

January 7, 2012 9:57 PM

Have you dealt with basel cell carcinoma and blood thinners at the same time? Questions below.

YNMD, I know. I’m getting good treatment and advice, yet I’d love to hear from others who have been here as patient, healer, or both.

I learned last week that the pea-sized lesion between my eyes that was frozen off last spring—sans biopsy—contains basel cell carcinoma. I understand the procedure for treating it but the timing is complicated by the need to also treat a pretty severe deep vein thrombosis with pulmonary emboli found one week prior to the carcinoma biopsy. My doctor advises waiting three months to let the blood thinner really take hold before we stop it for a few days. After seeing how slowly the biopsy wound healed, though, I want to put off treatment for as long as possible. At the same time I don’t want the carcinoma to do more damage and increase the treatment area as it’s so cosmetically significant.

Right now I have an appointment early next month for the procedure and plan to keep it if the little red spot in the center of the wound continues to menace. It was digging a little hole I didn’t know about until the first doctor froze it and I saw what was underneath. It’s all level now, after the biopsy, and I’d like to keep it that way. Also, how much can I expect from laser treatment post-procedure, to improve the bright red spot, likely to increase in size, right between my eyes? This spot never lightened in all the months since the first treatment. My eyes were always my best feature, but other naturally see this first.

posted by R2WeTwo to Health & Fitness (2 answers total)

I cannot answer your direct question, but as it also seems like a big concern to you is your appearance once you get thru all this (which seems completely healthy and understandable to me), I wondered, is there a plastic surgeon consultation in your treatment plan? Like, even before you have any further treatments for the carcinoma? I know for other surgeries that can affect appearance, it's not uncommon for a plastic surgeon to consult -- while cosmetic concerns should take a backburner to imminent health dangers, a plastic surgeon may be able to point out which of two equally good treatments might cause less damage or at least reassure you with plans for later mitigating effects on your appearance. Also, since your direct question brings up timing and how that will affect things, perhaps a plastic surgeon could also advise you on that....the effects of waiting/having two widely spaced procedures, etc.

Sorry not to have a better answer to the primary issue -- good luck!
posted by Tandem Affinity at 10:51 PM on January 7, 2012

Response by poster: The biopsy doctor spoke only of laser treatment to cover the scar and did so as if there is no other option.
posted by R2WeTwo at 11:09 PM on January 7, 2012